Thursday, May 20, 2010

Why is the rose called a rose?

why do we call a rose a rose?

Why is the rose called a rose?
Because that which we call a rose by any other name, would still smell as sweet :)
Reply:Because if were called a daffodil or a tulip it wouldn't be a rose now would it?
Reply:Rose:


ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old English, from Latin rosa.


WORD HISTORY:It is etymologically correct to drink a julep while watching the Run for the Roses. The English word rose comes from Latin and Old French. Latin rosa may be an Etruscan form of Greek Rhodia, “Rhodian, originating from Rhodes.” The Attic Greek word for rose is rhodon, and in Sappho's Aeolic dialect of Greek it is wrodon. In Avestan, the language of the Persian prophet Zoroaster, “rose” is varda and in Armenian vard, words both related to the Aeolic form. The Modern Persian word for “rose” is gul (which, believe it or not, is descended from a form quite similar to varda through a series of regular sound changes); and gul-b is “rose-water.” Gulb is also a drink made of water and honey or syrup. The name of this Persian treat was borrowed into Arabic as julb and then, through Spanish and French, became julep in English, the ambrosia for sipping on Derby Day."





Techical:


O.E. rose, from L. rosa (cf. It., Sp. rosa, Fr. rose; also source of Du. roos, Ger. Rose, Swed. ros, etc.), probably via It. and Gk. dialects from Gk. rhodon "rose" (Aeolic wrodon), ult. from Pers. *vrda-. But cf. Tucker: "The rose was a special growth of Macedonia %26amp; the Thracian region as well as of Persia, %26amp; the Lat. %26amp; Gk. names prob. came from a Thraco-Phrygian source." Aramaic warda is from O.Pers.; the modern Pers. cognate, via the usual sound changes, is gul, source of Turk. gül "rose." The ultimate source of all this may be PIE *wrdho- "thorn, bramble." Used of a color since 1530. In English civil wars of 15c., the white rose was the badge of the House of York, the red of its rival Lancaster. Rose-water is attested from 1398. Rose-colored "optimistic" is first recorded 1854. In the fig. sense, bed of roses is from 1593. Rosy in the sense of "cheerful" is first recorded 1775; meaning "promising" is from 1887. Rose of Sharon (Song of Sol. ii.1) is attested from 1611 and named for the fertile strip of coastal Palestine. The flower has not been identified; used in U.S. since 1847 of the Syrian hibiscus.





And as my predisessor stated:


'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; —


Thou art thyself though, not a Montague.


What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,


Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part


Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!


What's in a name? That which we call a rose,


By any other word would smell as sweet;


So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,


Retain that dear perfection which he owes


Without that title: — Romeo, doff thy name;


And for thy name, which is no part of thee,


Take all myself.





– Juliet; act ii


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